Your Life, Not Like Mine (Under Revision)
by JrockPrincessAshe
Summary: Sakura is the new girl for what seems like the hundredth time. She doesn't have much trouble adjusting anymore. But there are things that she wasn't quite ready for that come crashing down on her too soon. How will the young pinkette handle such situations? (UNDER REVISION)
1. The Beginning

This is the revised chapter 1. Enjoy. I love you all for supporting this. Please…PLEASE…tell me if you like it.

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"No d-dad please stop… l-leave her alone!" Sakura had awaken to the loud buzzing of her alarm clock. It was Monday already. Grudgingly, she let her feet carry her out of bed and walk towards her plain white bathroom.

"Another day, another school." The girl could not recall how many time she had transferred in the past. Konaha was a quiet, peaceful town and Sakura thought she was going to like it here. The painful memories she had other places threatened to tear at open wounds surrounding her heart. The pinkette vowed that this place would be different. She would try to make friends. She just had to. But the act of keeping her home life separate from her social life would prove to be no small feat. Determination struck her. No. This would be different. She could feel it. Her hand lightly slid across her body while she let the water from the shower head cascade over her. She love hot showers, especially against the briskly cool air surrounding the outside. It relaxed her.

Sakura stepped out of the shower and went to her closet. She picked out a black tee-shirt with red lettering. It read "vampires bite" in witch it had the effect of blood dripping off the lettering. Something also unique about this shirt was that the short sleeves where made of fishnet and it showed off all of Sakura's curves. She put on a black punk skirt on with a red and white checkered studded belt. Then she added some chains and applied some eyeliner and dark red eye makeup. Her appearance suited her. She was in no way one to be consumed with vanity, but her face was indeed pretty. Sakura had told herself that she looked like her mother, which is why she did not consume her time in pretending she looked 'ugly' like all the other girls did for attention. But she wasn't one to boast either. Just simply pleased at what she had.

The girl went down her stairs, careful not to knock over any of the boxes that adorned the walls. Moving was stressful. She was not proud of the fact that she did so all the time. Grabbing a pop tart, her wallet, and a plain black messenger bag she used as a book bag, she headed out the door in record time, not wanting to wake her father.

Although she didn't show it in many ways, she had money. In fact if it weren't for her current car, a black Porsche she inherited from her mom after her passing, no one would suspect her wealth at all. Her eyes downcast at the thought of her mother. Her one true friend. Oh, how she missed her. The sound of the cars engine had halted her memories as she pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of her new school. She was nervous, and yet at the same time quite excited.

When she entered the parking lot for the school, she had realized that the huge lot was practically empty. Only about four cars and a motorcycle sat in its domain. She found a spot near the back, where she thought would be out of the way, not minding the longer walk across the parking lot. For the first time she had been able to get a good look at the school. It was pretty big, meaning there must be a lot of students. There was a courtyard just beyond the parking lot. It was lined with trees and benches. And behind the rows of trees back by the school there were a plethora of wooden picnic tables. No doubt for eating lunch outside. There looked to be much more freedom at this school than the others she had gone to. Which Sakura found to be nice for a change. She put her ear buds in her ears and hit play on the small ipod in her pocket. Music soothed her tension.

Walking closely along the tree line, instead if in the middle of the wide pebbled path, seemed to be much more relaxing to her. She never really liked being the center of attention, even though her hair and clothing choices normally caused her to be. Reaching the entrance to the large school, she stood at the bottom of the stone steps for a while, breathing a heavy sigh. No doubt from being the new kid all over again.

An annoyed raven haired boy called after the girl for the third time. After no reply he decided to do something about her ignorant actions. Grabbing onto her book bag strap just as she was about to ascend the stairs. This caused the pinkette to hault her actions and pull her ear buds out of her ear, as she shoved them in her pockets lazily. Turning around she faced the dark haired boy.

"Hey, what's the big idea?! That was a good song! And I could of fallen on my face!" He ignored her interrogation and smirked.

"Where are _you_ going?" He cooed, trying to add a tone of sexiness to his voice. All it did was make Sakura want to do was dry heave.

"To class, where does it look like I'm going?" she said dryly.

"I meant, where are you going without me on your arm, beautiful." She was defiantly going to throw up on this man. He reminded her so much of her father.

"Not interested." She made a move to tear his grasp from her book bag. It did work. However he then grasped her upper arm a bit rougher than she thought him capable. Oh, yes. He was painfully too close to her dear old daddy…And Sakura didn't like it one bit.


	2. Music Room

**This is the revised chapter 2. Enjoy.**

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Sakura need to regain her inner composure. The grip he had on her upper arm was frightening to her for reasons no one else could comprehend. She breathed a sigh to relieve her tension and calmly spoke to the man.

"Could you please let go of me. You don't even know me. This kind of behavior is demoralizing and quite a turnoff." His eye twitched at her words but he coolly played it off.

"How unkind of me. My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I'm pretty high maintenance around here, so watch that tongue of yours. And you are?" She wasn't obliged to tell him her name. But she thought, why not be civil for the sake of her arms freedom.

"Sakura." It was simple, and to the point. She did not respect him enough to carry her last name into conversation. But to her dismay, he did not let go of her. In fact, he had stepped even closer. She was panicking on the inside. This was way to close for anyone to be with her. This man unnerved her, made all her fears unravel, just by the way he looked at her.

"L-listen…" All her words died in her throat as he took another small step forward.

"It seems to me that this girl does not like you very much, Sasuke." She was surprised at the new speaker. Looking to her right, she saw the owner of the voice. There stood a tall, thin but muscular man. He had his fair share of piercing along each side of his nose and on the bottom of his lips. Sakura looked closer and had noticed that his exposed ears, due to his short spiky red hair style, were covered in them as well.

"This isn't your concern, Pein! This is my girl. So back off already." She could tell that the man named Sasuke held some sort of fear for the other male. But his pride wouldn't let him reveal that. The guy called Pein raised his thin red eyebrow at this notion and faced Sakura.

"Are you his girl?" He asked with curiosity. Sakura vigorously shook her head no.

"I didn't think so." Pein calmly walked towards Sasuke and grabbed the hand holding Sakura with a strong grip that made the raven haired boy unclench his fingers from around the petite girls arm. He then snatched his hand away from the tall male and stepped back a few steps.

"You could of broke my wrist, bastard." Sasuke rubbed at his arm as he glared at Pein, who just shrugged it off and gave a look in the boys direction that made him turn and walk away with haste.

"I feel like a thank you is in order." Sakura stated lamely. But the man just looked at her with the utmost curiosity. The girl rubbed the back of her head in confusion. Why was he staring at her like that? Did she have something on her face?

"What?" She asked a bit harsher than she wanted it to sound. But it was too late to correct her mishap. The faintest hint of a smirk appeared on his face, but as soon as it had appeared it was gone again. This girl was defiantly intriguing.

"Aside from me, I don't think any one has had the guts to talk to the infamous Sasuke Uchiha in such a manor." Was his excuse. Her hair fell slightly forward into her face as she looked down at her pocket retrieving her headphones again, this time only putting one ear bud in her ear. As she was looking down at her ipod, she spoke.

"I don't see why anyone would put that man on a pedestal, infamous or not. But that still doesn't give you a reason to stare.." The last sentence had been quieter than the rest. She didn't like attention directed at her. Sensing her reaction was one of embarrassment, he looked away.

"I apologize. I know it affects me too being in the spotlight." How could he have known that was her reasoning for her uneasiness? He was intriguing Sakura more every second. He turned away from her and took a few steps.

"Come. I want to introduce you to some friends of mine, if you would like." She simply nodded and began to fallow the redhead. As they walked, he had broken the silence yet again.

"We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Pein. And you are?"

"Sakura Haruno." He nodded once. A gesture that was meant to reassure her that he had heard her, but still enough to end the conversation. But the girl didn't mind. She wasn't much of a conversationalist herself. Pein led them to the side of the school, past the picnic benches but not quite to the football field. There was a group of people near a large tree that looked out of place in the middle of what looked like to be a old soccer field. As they neared the group, all eyes were on them, even though conversations were still being held.

"Hey, Pein. We wondered why you weren't here already. Who's your friend?" One of the girls of the group had said as Sakura and her companion had stopped walking. The girl was later identified as Tenten. Pein then began introducing her to all of the people in the group.

She assessed who she would get along based on the way they had presented themselves to her. She came to the conclusion that Sasori, Itachi, Hinata, Neji, and Shino where her best bet. They were all quiet. The boy named Naruto only seemed to talk about food and was quite loud. But she suspected it would grow on her, having an outgoing side as well. Kisame, Deidara, and Kiba were quite perverted, but not in a way that made them undesirable to be around. They added a sense of humor to it. Tenten was more on the tomboy side, and had confessed that her parents owned an antique weapons shop, which made Sakura intrigued, having a slight fascination with katanas. Tobi was a little odd. He acted like a child. But in a way she sort of liked his innocence. Which left Konan. She was kind towards the pinkette, which made her instantly like her.

Sakura could defiantly see herself befriending all of these people. This was by far the best first day of school yet. She pleaded with the fate that was her life to let it remain this way. If only just a little longer. She was so deep in thought, as she watched the people around her talking to one another, that she almost didn't hear the question directed at her.

"So what classes are you enrolled in, yeah?" The long blonde haired boy named Deidara, chimed from his spot next to her. She blinked a few times and then remembered she had gotten her schedule in the mail a few days prior. Reaching in her bag, she pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper and handed it to Deidara. He looked it over once and handed it to Itachi.

"Itachi knows everyone's schedule, He will write the names of each of us that are in your classes." Deidara reassured her. This gave her some piece of mind. She would very much like to have at least one of them in each of her classes. And she had found out, as the silent black haired man handed her the paper, that she did indeed. She went through her whole schedule, looking at the names next to the periods.

English: Sasori, Shino

Science: Hinata, Neji, Pein, Tenten

Music/Art: Pein, Konan, Shino, Tenten, Naruto, Deidara, Sasori, Kisame, Kiba

Lunch: All

Social Studies: Pein, Itachi, Hinata, Kiba

Free Period: All, Minus Itachi and Kisame

Math: Pein, Tobi, Konan

"What is a free period?" Sakura had asked. She had never had such a thing at any of her old schools.

"It's like a study hall, except your free to go wherever as long as you do not leave campus. It's separated by grade. So because we are all in the same grade we get to hang out. Besides Itachi and Kisame who are one grade above of us." Konan smiled. The girl nodded her head in understanding.

As she looked it over a couple times, the bell rang. The girl almost jumped out of her skin at the sudden noise. A few of her new found friends had begun to snicker and she immediately felt embarrassed for the outburst. Two arms wrapped underneath her armpits and pulled her to her feet, as soon as she was up, the person let go. She turned her head to the side to see Sasori standing there, Shino standing beside him. Looking back down at her sheet she quickly realized they were in her first class. Letting her face curl up in thought as she tried to recall which one the redhead was.

"Umm…Sasori?" He nodded and smirked as she made an unusually happy gesture in her moment of victory. The rest of the day was pretty trivial, until Music, however. Then it would seem that things were starting to get slightly worse.

The routine procedure for a new classmate went on as scheduled. First the teacher would announce that they had a new student, and then Sakura was supposed to introduce herself to the class. If it wasn't for her extreme hatred for people focusing on her, everything would of went a lot more smoothly on her first day. But music was different. Being in an advanced music class, you had to give some sort of musical performance in front of everyone. Once she learned of this knowledge, she had abruptly asked to be put into a different class. But the kind teacher just laughed at her embarrassment and reassured her that she would not be judged. Looking for her new found friends for comfort, they urged her forward.

Slowly walking to the front of the room, the teacher instructed her to state her name and what she would be doing as her musical talent. Hesitantly Sakura turned to her classmates to speak.

"I am Sakura Haruno…And I will be playing the piano and singing for you today." Her breath caught and she swallowed the hard lump of anxiety as she sat at the black Grand Piano in the front of the room. Closing her eyes to regain her inner strength, she started graciously playing a soft and sad melody as her eyes became half lidded and the crowd began to disappear from her mind. Now it was only her…and the Piano.


	3. The song

**This is revised chapter 3. Enjoy. Please keep your reviews coming. The encourage me to writhe more. And at a faster pace. (Song choice: Evanescence- Hello) And I know in this chapter Sakura shows interest in Sasori, but I assure you, it is not a Sasosaku story. I am going to do this new thing in each of the chapters to see Sakura forming different types of bonds with different characters. Pein obviously being the strongest.**

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_Playground school bell rings, again_

_Rain clouds come to play, again_

_Has no one tolled you she's not breathing, hello_

_I am your mind giving you someone to talk to, hello_

_If I smile and don't believe_

_Soon I know I'll wake from this dream_

_Don't try to fix me I'm not broken, hello_

_I am the lie living for you so you can hide…don't cry_

_Suddenly I know I'm not dreaming_

_Hello, I'm still here_

_All that left of yesterday_

The short soft song came a close and Sakura had wondered what had kept her together when her mind was such in a state of panic. She felt the cloudiness fog her vision, but after blinking feverishly for what seemed like an eternity, she could finally see again. Too ashamed to look at the small class of people for fear that the were giving her disgusted looks. Her voice must of came out raspy. And just when she thought she had a chance at making new friends.

A slow lonely clap was heard which made her heart pound tighter against her chest and her stomach flip. Where they mocking her? It wasn't until almost everyone joined in and there was cheering that she looked up, her eyes wide with shock. They were applauding her? A couple of her new friends approached her and hugged her, in which she returned stiffly. Sakura wasn't used to such contact. But they seemed to brush it off as shock.

"Well now, with a performance like that how could I possibly teach the lesson I was planning today?" Her teacher smiled. Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all. Except there was still something wrong. Sakura's heart still ached uncontrollably. But she would be damned if she let anyone know of her troubles. A smile formed on her lips as she continued the conversation she was previously having with Sasori. By far, he was the one she had gotten the closest to today. His somewhat arrogant gestures and words gave reason for Sakura to also show off that side of her and they quickly formed a weird bond. One of those friendships where everyone who did not know any better, would say that they didn't think the two got along well. But that was not the case. She simply respected his way of addressing people. And by the looks of it, no one else besides Deidara understood his fake arrogant demeanor.

"Your face is almost the same color as your hair." He stated mockingly. Surly that comment had opened up an opportunity to insult. Oh she would get back at him indeed.

Music went by relatively fast, considering she spent it talking with friends. But the ache still remained. She found herself staring out the window often. And if that wasn't the case than she was stumbling over her words. When asked about her odd behavior, she simply stated the her nerves still have ceased to disappear. And they ignorantly believed her. Except for Pein. Well, she couldn't exactly read his features. They were almost void. But the way he looked at her sent a different shiver down her spine than the one the Uchiha had inflicted upon her. He was suspicious of her reasoning's, that much she could tell.

She seemed to be caught off guard a lot, because for about the sixth time she could count today, someone had spoken to her without it registering until a few seconds after the fact. This time it was Pein, and his voice came through to her in no more than a whisper.

"Tell me what troubles you." It was low and monotone, almost demanding she reply. But there was something else to his voice that she couldn't make out. She whispered back to him that she didn't feel like discussing it now and that it would be more appropriate somewhere else. He gave her one of his signature nods as the bell for lunch sounded in sakura's ears. However, much to her dismay, Pein pulled on her arm, ushering her to stay behind the crowd of friends. No one seemed to notice their slight distance.

"This time is as appropriate as ever." She had gotten the feeling that Pein didn't like to be in the dark about anything. When he was set on knowing something, he would stop at nothing to find out as quickly as possible. She sighed. Seeing the determination in his gaze, she decided just to tell him. He wouldn't let her live it down otherwise.

"That song was something my mother used to sing to me, before she passed away." It was said slightly above a whisper. She cast her eyes upon the floor as they continued to walk. She did not need to look at him again to know that he had nodded. The conversation was over. And that's just how Sakura wanted it to be. He didn't push her to talk about it, and for that she was grateful.

When she had fallowed the group to the lunchroom, the smell of food made her hunger become apparent with a low growl from her abdominal region. She was glad that none of her friends heard the distress sound and fallowed Konan and Deidara into the lunch line. Apparently everyone else wasn't hungry or had brought something for the day.

Quietly conversing between the two became difficult as she saw someone out of the corner of her eye that she did not want to see, enter the lunch room. Her head quickly snapped forward, hoping he would not see her. But her hair stood out, so she doubted he wouldn't. None of her other friends knew of the encounter with the young male, so if he approached her, what would her friends do? She didn't have time to think it thought as she felt rough hands tightly squeeze her butt and snake around her middle. He tightly pressed her back to his firm chest and Sakura could feel her heart pounding in her ears. He was strong, she could feel his toned chest underneath his shirt. This unnerved her even more.

"Surprise." He whispered in her ear. His hot breath reeking across her suddenly cold flesh. She reached down and tried to pry her waist free. The action caused attention from her two companions.

"Hey jerk, let go of Sakura!" The girl being held couldn't comprehend her friends words. She looked like she was going to get sick, but quickly swallowed her nerves and the feeling of bile rising in her stomach retreated. Her body acted on adrenaline, knowing that if she used his weight against him, then she had a fair chance. Leaning forward to throw of his footing, she quickly elbowed the man in the nose. She had guessed that her whole weight was thrown into the action in desperation, because she heard a slight thud as he hit the ground. Tuning to face him, she saw that his nose was bleeding slightly and his upper lip had a small cut.

"Strength is nothing if you catch your opponent off guard." Sakura stated coolly as she grabbed her lunch and headed towards the table where all her friends were staring at her. Konan and Deidara fallowed her closely. She sat down ignoring the gazes from the people surrounding her. It was quiet for several minutes until Kiba spoke up.

"I knew she was a scrapper!" Sakura rubbed her temple as she bit into an apple. Now she would be known around the school as the girl who took on Sasuke. She was sure to get unwanted attention for this. But as she scoffed in her mind, she realized that it was time to be a bit more light hearted. She worried too much.

Remembering that she still had to get Sasori back for his prior hair comment, she realized it was a perfect way to make light of this lunch again. Sasori sat directly across from her. But unlike their positions, she was going to attack this indirectly. Putting on a happy, almost bubbly smile she faced Deidara, who was diagonal from her, sitting next to Sasori.

"Hey Deidara, I didn't get a yogurt. Can I try yours?" He smiled back at her cheerfulness and stated that she could. But before he had the chance to hand it to her, she leaned her upper body across the table, reaching for it. The position was perfect. Her slightly exposed breast line peering out over her lower cut shirt, right in Sasori's face. He immediately went red at the sudden gesture as the girl so close in proximity to him took her time savoring the taste of Deidra's yogurt. She pulled back examining him with a wide smirk as the rest of the table watched in bewilderment.

"What's wrong Saasorrri-kun. Your face matches your hair." She dragged his name out in a sing song way as her smirk widened. He suddenly recognized what her intensions where and he glared at her.

"Oh, this is war woman." He said in his usual arrogant way. She let her tongue flicker over the spoon, licking the remaining amount of yogurt off.

"Bring it." Was her simple reply. Once the rest of their friends knew what was going on, they all seemed to laugh or roll their eyes at the pair. But they all couldn't help but think of how much more lively things were going to be with the pinkette around. Their family was finally becoming complete.


	4. fun?

**This is the revised chapter 4. Enjoy. I am happy with the progress I am making.**

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Pein couldn't really remember the last time he had stared off into space like this. He was usually the calm and collected type. But for some reason, ever since that encounter with the pink haired girl, he couldn't get her off of his mind. She peeked his interest in a way that no one ever had before.

"Hey, Pein…You okay? You seem kind of…spacey." Deidara's words erupted through his mind.

"I'm fine. I guess I just have some things on my mind is all." His blonde friend smirked.

"Some thing…or _someone._" Pein choked on air at the sudden statement. His friend brightened up.

"I knew it."

"What do you know? Enlighten me, Deidara. Because it seems that I don't know."

"You like _Sakura_." The man glared.

"Nonsense." But he knew he had been caught in a bad situation. Did he like her? He did think about her a lot.

"Whatever. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." This was not going to be good.

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The week had been fast going. All the fun she had with her new friends was becoming like a drug to her. Fun, she realized, was something that she had lacked for a long time. The feeling was addicting. But now it was Friday. Would her friends cease to exist on the weekends? She dreaded being left home with her father all weekend. As the last bell of the day rang out, she inhaled a deep intake of breath before releasing it. Before she had much time to dread on being home with her father, a loud vibration was heard from her pocket. Quickly retrieving the small item, she flipped it open to read the text sent from Tenten.

'_Going to the mall later, Wanna join? Movies with the guys ;)' _This was a good opportunity to get out. She was sure her dad would be drunk so an excuse would be easy to muster up without him giving it much thought.

'_Sure. Just gotta go home first. Meet you there?' _The replies ceased after a while after agreeing to Konan picking her up, as she drove home. It was a horrific thought to have, but she wished her father would be too drunk to stand when she entered the home. And indeed he was, much to her relief.

"Woman. Get me another beer." He slurred. Sakura compiled, bringing him two just in case.

"Um, dad. I need to get some school supplies. Is alright if I take the subway to the mall?" Her voice was rushed and filled with tremors as she leaned over him to pick up some of the array of empty bottles. He grunted in response, taking a long swig of his drink.

"10:30, That's your curfew. Get out of my sight. Your face is disgusting." Was all he said with a deep growl. She had heard those words so many times. He was referring to the fact that she looked exactly like her mother. She horridly moved out the door and walked down the block to where Konan was parked. She was thankful that the girl was the only one in the car and did not question her motives for picking her up a block away from her house.

The shopping didn't really appeal to her that much. So she was grateful when the guys came in sight. That meant that their movie time was nearing. However, Sakura was not pleased when she was lifted off the ground and thrown over Sasori's shoulder, causing her to shriek.

"You could of just stayed home, Douche!" She playfully yelled. This caused him to loosen his hold a bit, making her fall forward slightly. Another cry was heard from the girl.

"I would suspect you are in no such predicament to be insulting me, _onna_."

"do not spit your Japanese at me! And my name is not woman! Now release me." He shrugged under her weight and tossed her petite body in the air, directed at Pein. He caught her effortlessly in a semi bridal style manor.

"I am not some ball!" Pein smirked at her frustration.

"Deidara, catch!" He tossed her to the blonde male who also caught her in the same position, also smiling.

"If you don't stop this, I'm going to throw up on you!" With the threat apparent in her voice he dropped her legs, letting them fall to the ground. He kept his arm around her shoulders and led them to the movie theatre. She was pouting in a manor that resembled a child who didn't get her way.

"Aw, come on. That was fun!" The blonde laughed, removing his arm from her.

"Said the man who was not being tossed in the air."

"Touché." She continued to pout as everyone got their tickets and entered the theatre. Sakura would never admit it this early on, but this was the best group of friends she had ever encountered. As the lighting dimmed and the movie played, her eyes began to drift. These people relaxed her. She felt safe. She had suddenly realized that the past few nights of not getting much sleep were taking its toll. What better way to sleep than feeling protected by your friends? Was the last thought she had before her eyes closed and her head rolled onto the shoulder of the person next to him.

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Pein looked down at the sleeping girl on his shoulder. At first, when he felt the weight of her he had thought that she was shielding her eyes from the gruesome movie. But beyond further inspection he had fount that she was indeed asleep. What an odd girl. Falling asleep in a horror movie. She must have been exhausted. Nevertheless, he did not wake her. Shifting slightly so she lay more comfortable. But now it was impossible for him to get up without waking her. He would worry about that when the movie ended.

The Horrific scenes continued to roll, but he couldn't remember much of what happened. He had found himself more interested in watching the sleeping girl, as creepy as the notion was. She looked to at peace laying there. Did she not get a lot of sleep? Looking at his watch, he realized that it might be kind of late for someone on a high school schedule. The time read 9:43 to be exact.

The movie had ended without him directly knowing it. He turned his attention away from the girl when the lights had begun to brighten again. Deidara was the only friend left next to them, and with a smirk he told them they would be waiting in the parking lot for the love birds, then fled the scene. Pein's body tensed. It was now 10:15 and the girl under him stirred at his abrupt movement and eventually, opened her eyes. Rubbing the sleepiness away, he almost smiled at her innocence.

"What time is it?"

"About 10:18." He watched as her eyes widened in realization. Then she bolted upward.

"I have to get home. Fast." She didn't say anything further as she reached for his arm and pulled him towards the exit. He fallowed obediently. Once in the parking lot, she was mortified. Konan had been gone. How was she going to get home now? Sakura realized the she was running out of time.

Pein realized exactly what was going on the moment he realized they had all left. He cursed Deidara under his breath for being so foolish. The girl looked beyond distressed, and he realized that she must have a curfew of some sort.

"Relax. I will take you home." He led him over to his motorcycle.

"On t-that?.." He looked at his bike with pride.

"Yes. What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing.." He handed her konan's spare helmet and put on his own, climbing on. She fallowed suit and he urged her to hold on as the engine roared to life. She loosely wrapped her hands around his stomach area. But as soon as he took off her grip tightened dramatically.

"D-don't let me fall!" She said loudly in his ear. He smirked and slowed a bit to ease her tension.

"You are not going to fall." He reassured her. Giving him directions to her house was no easy feat as she would squeak every time he accelerated the speed. But finally she had managed to get it all out, and she was home in no time. But still ten minutes late. This was also very troublesome. Ten minutes might as well mean an hour to her father. And if he was awake, she was in for another rough night. All the lights seemed to be off in the small three bedroom house. She hoped that was a good sign. Handing Pein back the helmet, she thanked him in which he gave her a nod in return as he sped off.

Waling in the front door without a sound was something that the young girl had mastered at a young age. She had learned how to control her breathing and become as quiet as possible when needed. It was a great skill, and to be honest made her feel a bit like a ninja. She would of laughed at the thought if this was any other circumstance. Walking up the stairs with the utmost grace, she descended down the long hallway. Just as she was about to reach for her bedroom door handle, she heard another door down the hall open. Shutting her eyes tightly, she prepared her body. She had been caught.

"Woman." He slurred roughly. She didn't even move.

"Thirteen minutes. Thirteen fucking minutes late. This behavior is unacceptable. I did not raise a delinquent!" Sakura had always wonder about his ability to form perfect sentences in his intoxicated state. Even though his words slurred together and he looked like he was thinking too hard, it still amazed her. In a sick and twisted hatred that is.

"I'm sorry sir, It won't happen again." Her face remained inches away from her door, even when she heard his heavy footsteps approaching. Grabbing a fist full if her hair, he spun her around to face him.

"Damn right it wont." Pushing her door open he, harshly pulled her backwards until her body fell onto her bed. He quickly sat on her waist with all his weight and grabbed one of her wrists forcefully. His other hand reached for the small pocket knife he kept on him at all times and sakura's eyes widened in horror. That knife was the cause of all her nightmares. It was most certainly created to make her suffer.

"I'm upping your punishments." Slicing a short in length cut on her forearm, he continued to slur.

"One cut for every minute you waste my time." When he was finished with the thirteen bleeding marks, he had left, slamming her door behind him. The shaking girl continued to cry on her bed, not daring to move until she heard the man retreat into his own room. She sat up weakly and examined her arm. It had look like an act of self harm. But she knew that was the way he had wanted it.


	5. What was that?

**This is the revised chapter 5. Enjoy.**

* * *

Pein entered the door to his home to see if he could spot his sister anywhere. Konan was not his real sister, but they grew up together in the same orphanage. He had a high amount of respect for her. And as far as he was concerned, they were indeed family. The blue haired girl was resting comfortably on the large sofa, paying no heed to the television as she flipped through one of her many magazines.

"Back so soon? I was expecting you to get some romancing in tonight." She smiled, not breaking her concentration on the thin booklet of papers. He growled at her.

"What are you guys up to?" The sternness in his tone made her realize that she was feeling a bit more sleepy now than she had been a few seconds ago. She knew he didn't like being kept in the dark.

"We were just trying to help." She chimed, getting up from the bed with the intention of going to her room.

"Well don't." He deadpanned. He halted in her retreat as determination hit her.

"We can all see that you like her. Hell, you wouldn't stop looking at her during the movie! And you have become so clumsy lately. Mostly around her." For the first time since he could remember, his face flushed slightly.

"See. So just ask her to Homecoming this Friday already!"

"I can't do that!"

"Trust me, Pein."

"Can I go to bed now?" His sister scoffed at the subject change, but knew better than progressing the situation. But sighed in defeat as she headed to her own room. She would just have to have Sakura come to him.

* * *

Letting the cold water soothe her throbbing arm did little to sustain Sakura's worries. What if one of her friends noticed her cuts? What would she tell them? Her mind swirled with upsetting notions. But the one that seemed to hit her the hardest was, what if Pein found out? He was so good at detecting things wrong with her. Sure she had plenty of long sleeve shirts. But the _I'm cold_ excuse wouldn't last long. Should she wrap it up and tell them she was attacked by her neighbors dog? The cuts were close enough together. She hated lying to her friends. But it was a far less risk of telling them the truth. No, she would tell them she self harmed before the truth passed her lips.

Sakura decided on wrapping it with some gauze, just in case it started bleeding. Slipping on a long sleeve purple undershirt, she eased her arm into the formfitting sleeve. Over that she just decided on a plain white tee-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. This outfit would raise less suspicion. All that was left was some light makeup and she was out the door for another week of school.

Sakura was always so early to arrive for school. Her, being the first to arrive while she sat and read one of her books patiently. Without even noticing it though, she would also always listen subconsciously for the roar of Pein's motorcycle as he sped into the parking lot. He was also there pretty early every day. This raised her suspicion. Didn't he live with Konan? She was usually close to last to arrive. As he approached and sat on the grass beside the pinkette, her book became less intriguing. Putting it back into her bag she addressed the tall man beside her.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Besides the one you just did? I suppose." He smirked as she playfully hit him in the arm.

"Why are you always here so early? I mean. Konan lives with you, right. And she's usually not here until the bell almost rings." Instead of answering, he made a clicking sound with his tongue as he opened his mouth to speak. But when he did, it wasn't an answer rather than another question.

"Why do you?" Her face lowered a bit.

"I just don't like dealing with my dad. He's not a morning person…" Another nod.

"Well?" He raised his eyebrow at her.

"Well, what?"

"I answered your question. The polite thing to do would be to answer mine." He sighted.

"I just like the peace and quiet. It helps me relax. That is, until you showed up. Now all I get are headaches." He smiled at her. Sakura huffed and played with a blade of grass.

"Now it is time for me to ask you a question." The words were out before he could stop himself. What was he thinking? He couldn't ask her this now.

"Okay, shoot." She smiled up at him and it made his breath catch in his throat. Coughing lightly and sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, he continued.

"You know. I was thinking. And.." He was stopped by Naruto running in their direction. The loud mouthed man tried to catch his breath.

"Yo! Have you seen Hinata?" He managed to breathe out. It was Sakura who answered him.

"No, but I thought I saw Neji in the parking lot. He would surly know where she is." The boy thanked her and ran off excitedly.

"So, what was it that you were saying?"

"Never mind. I will tell you later.." His voice was lower than normal. Sakura furrowed her brows. This man was so confusing. Was he embarrassed of something? She cursed Naruto for interrupting, even though she knew her companion was doing the opposite.

* * *

Sakura had grown accustom to her first period teachers tardiness. It was her thinking time when she wasn't conversing with Sasori, who seemed a bit chipper this morning. Every one of her friends had, now that she thought about it. But why? It dawned on her as soon as Sasori asked her one simple question.

"Are you going to homecoming this Friday?" So that was why everyone was in high spirits. To be honest, she had completely forgotten the whole thing.

"I don't suppose I am. I haven't been asked yet." But she quickly corrected herself remembering that there was a boy in her math class that had, but she respectfully declined.

"No one I like, that is."

"Oh really? Who would that be?" His ears seemed to perk up at the thought of her having a crush.

"Well…" Her breathing had lowered to the point where she thought she wasn't breathing at all anymore.

"Just spit it out. It's pretty obvious you like him. Every one knows you have the hots for Pein." He smirked as she blushed, only confirming his suspicions. There was no use hiding it anymore.

"I was so sure he was going to ask me this morning, but then Naruto interrupted and he told me to forget about it. I might be imagining it though.." She covered her cheeks with her hands.

"Don't worry. He'll come around. Konan told me that he likes you too." His words soothed her mind and made her heart race. She had never had a crush before. Let alone have one show interest in her was all new to her.

"Hey, Sakurrrrra." She turned to see Sasuke standing in front of her desk.

"I thought I had made it pretty clear when I elbowed you in the face, that I never wanted to talk to you again." She blankly stated.

"Aw, such harsh words directed towards your date for homecoming."

"I don't remember agreeing to any offer involving you. Besides, if I were to take any Uchiha, I'd rather take your brother. He's a lot more attractive." Sasori let out a throaty chuckle as the young Uchiha clenched his fists.

"What the fuck are you laughing at, freak?"

"Just a pathetic loser who can't take a hint." He said coolly.

"Stop, Sasori. I can handle him." The red head shrugged. Sakura turned her attention back to Sasuke.

"This is the last time I am going to tell you. I don't want anything to do with you, or you faked lifestyle. So fuck off and leave me the hell alone." The Uchiha was becoming quite agitated. No one had ever told him no before, and he did not like it. Grabbing her arm, unaware of the now throbbing cuts under his grasp, he pulled her to her feet. She had winced and made a whimper a little too loud for her comfort. She didn't like showing weakness.

Sasori wasn't having any of this. He jumped out of his seat, catching both Sakura and Sasuke off guard as he lunged for the boy. His fist had connected with Sasuke's face before he had time to react. The boy let go of Sakura's arm just as the teacher walked in. From their position, it had looked like Sasori and Sakura had started the fight. Which is just what the teacher had thought as well. It did not help matters when Ino, an annoying blonde, had squealed and told the teacher that Sakura and Sasori had jumped her precious _Sasuke-kun_. They were both sent out of the class.


	6. Wounds

This is the revised Chapter 6. Enjoy :)

* * *

The blonde and the red head sat in one of their much less appealing classes. Small conversation seemed to be much more interesting at this moment than what ever the loud teacher had been talking about. Pein faced Deidara with intent to scold him about the previous weekends occurrences. However, the boy looked past him, his brows furrowed in concentration as he shrugged. Pein focused his attention in the same direction. Outside their classroom door stood Sasori. He looked annoyed and ushered them urgently to get out of class. Usually the boy would have ignored him, but a flash of pink standing beside Sasori caught his eye. Quickly, he and Deidara made an excuse to leave class.

The small group did not speak for a few moments, not until they were well past any classrooms. They ascended a closed off stairway and found themselves on the roof. Only then did Pein break the silence.

"What is going on?" He eyed Sakura. She did not look at him, however. Her firm gaze was planted to the ground. She was avoiding eye contact. But even without her gaze, he could see the slight flicker of pain in them. His chest tightened slightly. She was hurt.

"We just got back from the office, Sakura and I have a few nights of detention." Sasori fumed.

"I mean...Why does she look in pain?" Sakura snapped her face in his direction, eyes widened. Then she scowled slightly at Sasori. She had told him not to tell Pein that certain part of their story. But it seemed inevitable now. Sasori looked uneasy under her gaze.

"It was Sasuke…He was trying to intimidate her and she retaliated. But then.."

"Don't!" The girl shot at him. Sasori shook his head.

"I have to tell them, Sakura. You are our friend." The girl looked away. Pein was becoming agitated. What had the dark haired boy done? Sasori sighed loudly and continued.

"He grabbed her arm. Pretty roughly, too. I was going to let her fight her own battle but when his grip tightened to the point I could tell he caused damage to her I leapt forward and attacked him. He has no right to touch our friends." The girl tugged at her sleeve. His words made her feel exposed. She might as well be naked at this moment in time, even though none of them knew the real reason of why the boy's actions had hurt her more than it should have. Both blond and orange bristled. But sensing the girls distress, they quieted their rage. Deidara reached out lightly for the girls arm but she quickly retreated.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya, yeah. I just wanna see if he left a mark. Make sure your okay, ya know?"

"I'm fine." She simply stated. Deidara frowned.

"You're stubborn. Fine. I won't look. Let's go get the others, Sasori. The will want to know." The red head nodded and fallowed Deidara out the door. The moment her friends were no longer in sight, her heart beat quickened. Being alone with Pein was something that happened often. But she couldn't seem to shake the uneasy feeling she was getting right now. He was sure to ask her to see her arm. And then what would she do? Her anxiety grew with every step he took towards her. His motions fallowed the blonde's. Long warm fingers grasped her slightly exposed wrist. Something like static shot through her arm and didn't cease until it made her heart leap. She was about to pull away, when his grasp tightened firmly, but not painfully. His silent declaration that he was about to get what he wanted. But she couldn't let this happen. She needed more time to prepare for this moment.

"Please…I'm begging you. Do not do this." The raspy pleading-ness of her voice made his heart feel much more pain than it should of. And he almost abandoned his actions. But he had to know what she was hiding. Pein was well aware that this was no longer about the young Uchiha anymore. She was too desperate for it not to be.

Sakura wanted to retreat, but she found that her back was already firmly against the concrete behind her. His warm hand suddenly felt cold against her heated flesh. Slowly, he let his long fingers disappear underneath the purple fabric. He watched as it crinkled and skidded further up her arm. It was only when his fingertips met the bandage material underneath that he hesitated. The girl closed her eyes and let out a low whimper. He continued and pulled the fabric up to her elbow, exposing the gauze wrapped forearm. Turning her hand over, so her palm faced skyward, his breath caught in his throat. There were faint dark red patterns on the bandage. Was she bleeding?

"W-what…" He was at a loss for words. Tearing his gaze away from the covered wound, he looked at the girls face. She was looking at him now, and their eyes locked for a moment before she looked down.

"What happened?.."

"Or neighbors dog…he-"

"Sakura. Do not lie to me. You are my friend. And I deserve to know the truth." His voice was low and stern. She let out a sob. But the girl was unaware of why. Two things had choked her up at this second. Pein had found out, was the most obvious reason for her distress. But she also felt her heart lurch at his words. _Friend_. Was that all she was to him? It pained her. Surly she would not be anything more after she told him what she was about to. He would probably think her disgusting. A price she had to pay in order to secret her home life.

"I hurt myself, okay?! Is that what you wanted to hear?…" She felt like she wanted to cry. But it was because she had to protect scum like her father. It was because she had to lie, despite what Pein had just told her. It was because she didn't want to leave here. He had believed her. Taking her shoulders in his large hands, he shook her lightly. It was only enough to get her to look at him. And she did.

"I do not need to know why you have done this. That is your own personal business. You had mentioned before that you moved a lot, and therefore couldn't make friends. But Sakura, you have friends now. So I want you to talk to one of us when you feel like doing this again. I want you to talk to _me_…" Her eyes widened a bit at the way he stressed the last word he had said. He wanted her to talk to him. The emotion running through her today was exhausting her. And it was all caused from this man. He gently pulled her sleeve down and pulled her into a tight hug. She returned it weakly.

"Why are you being so nice?…I expected you to be disgusted with me." It was only a whisper. He let her go and sat down on the ledge of the roof, feet dangling off the edge. She fallowed suit as he spoke.

"That is what friends do. They look past what is held on the outside. However…Sometimes, relations such as friendship can be…more complex."

"What do you mean?" He didn't know how to pursue the matter any further with words. The boy wasn't even sure of what he had exactly said to her anymore. She made his mind wonder so easily. But a risky thought popped into his head, regardless of his scattering mind.

Without dwelling on it, he gripped her chin lightly between his fingers, making her look at him. He leaned in close to her, hovering his lips above hers. Their noses touched slightly, before he angled his head in a way he had more access to her lips. Sakura's eyelids felt heavy, and she succumbed to the weakness. Pein's own eyes became half lidded as his lips brushed her own slightly. He was hesitating and it made Sakura anxious.

"I consider you more." Before she realized what she was doing, her head had tilted forward slightly and pressed her lips to his. Instinctively, his hand found its way to her cheek and hers rested on the back of his neck. But the kiss was short, as both participants found that in the excitement before, breathing did not come naturally.

"Sorry…" She wasn't sure why she had apologized. He was the one who initiated the kiss. He shook his head side to side.

"I liked it." Was his simple, yet low response. Her face flushed.

"Um, does this mean…We're going to homecoming together?" He nodded.

"I was going to ask you this morning. But it seems easier now that I know you will accept me." He wasn't looking at her, but she could tell that he was just as flustered as she. Despite his calm words.

"I've always accepted you." He looked at her then, but she was looking forward. He nodded.

"I suppose we should go to music. The class should start soon. I can't hide all day…" Another nod. But the girl did not mind. She was accustomed to his silence. He soothed her without the need of words. It was always that way, she had realized.

* * *

That day in music, they had learned that there was a festival coming to town. It was to be held next Wednesday, at a place unfamiliar to Sakura. Some sort of skate park. Mostly, this festival was for aspiring artists and musicians. There were high cash prizes for the winners. It seemed interesting. Looking at her friends faces, she had realized that she wasn't the only one who had been struck with interest.

"We have to enter. With Sakura's voice and Pein's guitar skills, we will defiantly win! We could form a band." Chirped Konan.

"You play guitar?" The boy in question nodded.

"And Sasori is amazing on the bass. Oh! And Tenten plays the drums! I'm a bit of a keyboardist myself." Konan continued. Sakura took this information in.

"How would I guess that Sasori was the bassist. He's perfect for it. Rhythmic, mostly repetitive, and monotone." The pinkette smirked.** (No disrespect intended. I'm a bass player! :3)**

"Hey! Respect the Bass!"

"Oh, I do. I just think it suits you nicely." The girl laughed when Sasori growled at her.

"Well then. I guess we are entering?" Everyone nodded at Pein.


End file.
